TEWU raises concern over the quality of food served SHS students’

The Teachers and Educational Worker’s Union (TEWU) of the Trade Union Congress has raised concern over the quality of food being provided to public Senior High School students under the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy.

The Union’s Secretary-General, Mark Dankyira Korankye speaking at the 13th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of TEWU said the policy is one of the country’s best education initiatives, however, he urged the government to depoliticize the policy and review it.

“This policy, after 7 years of implementation needs to be reviewed to make it even better. It cannot be business as usual,” he said.

Mr Korankye emphasised that there is a need to involve all relevant stakeholders in the provision of supplies and facilities, noting that inadequate food provisions have been reported in some Senior High Schools in the country.

“Sometimes in some of the institutions you will hear L cube. That is to say that breakfast is liquid, lunch is liquid and supper is liquid. So L in the morning, L in the afternoon and L in the evening.

Whereas we know that normally we would take a light breakfast, some heavy lunch and some in the evening. And if students are forced to do an L cube, how would they have the energy to even learn

This is not the politician’s review that I am talking about. I am talking about the education sector. A review from a union that is within the education sector and knows what is going on in the sector.

Let us review it, take off those ones that have challenges, and maintain the ones that are best for our people so that our children will have the full benefit of the policy,” the Teachers and Educational Worker’s Union Secretary said.

But, Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum reacting to TEWU’s call has said there will be challenges if the government is feeding about 1.4 million students each day in the various public Senior High Schools across the country.

Speaking in an interview monitored by Thisterm.com, he said the government through the Free Senior High School policy feeds one million, four hundred thousand students three times every day, thus, breakfast, lunch and supper.

“If you are feeding 1.4 million students a day, there will definitely be challenges. I will not sit here as a minister of education and say that there are no challenges. The students we are feeding are many,” Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum said.